AN OLD LIGAND IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT - TRIPLE-BRIDGED O,O'-DIMETHYLDITHIOPHOSPHATE IN AN ORGANOSAMARIUM COMPLEX [(C5ME5)SM(S2P(OME)2)2]2

The reaction of (C5Me5)2Sm(THF)2 (1) with [(MeO)2P(S)S]2 results in elimination of a C5Me5 ligand and formation of the dinuclear organosamarium(III) complex [(C5Me5)Sm{S2P(OMe)2}2]2 (2). The molecular structure of 2 was determined by X-ray diffraction. The most notable structural feature is the presence of triply bridging O,O'-dimethyldithiophosphate ligands in which one of the methoxy groups is involved in the coordination to samarium.